Gori Massip: "I've always been reluctant to spend money"

The youngest meteorologist at TV3, Gori Massip (2002), still remembers the day he discovered what snow was. He was very young when his brother ran into his room to tell him it was snowing in Sitges, his hometown: "Automatically, I asked him what snow was. I had no idea," he explains in statements to Empreses.

Although he was clear he wanted to become a weatherman, he first took revision classes and worked as a waiter. However, the experience was short-lived: "It's a very physically demanding job. Eight hours standing, serving the public. I saw that wasn't for me." These were his only jobs outside of meteorology. His commitment to this field began during high school when he created a Twitter profile to share meteorological content: "Probably, it wasn't even legal for me to have a public profile." "I posted things that nobody looked at, but that I liked," he explains.

He studied geography and soon began to gain experience in the sector with an internship at the Meteorological Service of Catalonia. He then did replacements at the local radio station in Sitges, a scholarship at RAC1, and another internship at TV3 where he stayed on doing replacements, thus becoming the youngest face on air and fulfilling his dream: "It wasn't just about being a weatherman, but being one at TV3." That was two years ago.

Regarding personal finances, Massip defines himself as a thrifty person: "As a good Catalan, I've always been hesitant to spend money." In fact, he wouldn't even know where to spend it; fashion and material purchases don't interest him: "I've never bought an iPhone because I consider it's not worth 1,400 euros. If I want a good camera, I buy it directly." And since he started working, when he makes a purchase, he compares it to the workdays it will take to earn it back: "Then you are even more aware of the cost".

The philosophy changes, however, when it comes to sharing experiences: "If a friend suggests a weekend getaway, I'm in without thinking twice." And he continues: "Rather than getting rich, I value quality time with friends and the people I love." Precisely for this reason, he prefers to maintain a financial cushion that allows him to enjoy these moments without being "up against the wall".

His savings goals are clear: to finish paying off the car and, one day, become independent. The vehicle has been his most important purchase: "It was the first time I thought, how cool to be able to work! It's the first thing I own." The big dream, however, is to be able to live in Sitges. He would like to achieve it soon, but he is aware of the difficulties: "There are many seasonal rentals and finding an apartment is complicated." For this reason, he is considering the option of buying a home directly: "I have always lived in Sitges, I haven't even left to do an Erasmus."He currently lives with his family in a rented apartment, but rented from a relative: "We are the resistance, because we know they won't kick us out or turn the apartment into a tourist apartment." A situation that contrasts with what he sees around him. Massip warns that the tourist success is taking its toll on the town of 32,000 inhabitants: “There are many events, more than 200 a year. We will die of success.” “It is a very important economic engine, but it should be rethought. You leave home on an August day and it seems like you are joining a highway; running into someone you know is almost a miracle,” he points out. This reality particularly bothers him because it makes it difficult for young people to settle down: "As a town we are losing out if a person who has grown up here has to leave because they cannot pursue their project in their hometown."Professionally, he admits that he achieved his big goal sooner than he imagined: "Suddenly, being very young, my goal was met and I thought: 'And now what?'" Now he wants to consolidate his career and learn a lot: "I'm working with the people I always admired, it's a dream to learn from them."

Massip defends the relationship between his profession and the economy: "A very hot and dry summer affects tourism, agriculture, or energy consumption." Therefore, he argues that the main economic indicators also have a daily dimension: “Sometimes we talk about the economy as if it were just numbers, but behind it there are small things from our daily lives, as basic as time, which end up conditioning everyone's life.”